Book Review: Daggerbound (Swordheart, #2) by T. Kingfisher

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Daggerbound
Series: Swordheart, #2
Author: T. Kingfisher
Publisher: Bramble
Publication date: August 25, 2026
Length: 436 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Learned Edmund, a disillusioned scholar, is transporting yet another precious relic from one stuffy temple to a different stuffy temple. Another great adventure for the ages…

But when Edmund is set upon by bandits, in desperation, he breaks the cardinal rule and grabs for the relic, an ancient sword. To his surprise, instead of unsheathing a rusty, ancient weapon, an alarmingly handsome man appears, wielding daggers of blue steel and cutting the thieves down.

This man is the Dervish, an immortal warrior who’s been trapped for centuries in a sword of enchanted steel, and is angry as hell about it. He hates the curse that put him there, and he wants to hate Edmund, just as he has hated every wielder before him.

But the damned scholar is just so sweet and clever and kind. And while the Dervish may be able to protect Edmund from bandits, cultists, dragons, and strange inhuman diplomats, he may find it much harder to protect his own heart.

T. Kingfisher’s fantasy novels are always a delight, and this sequel to Swordheart is every bit as wonderful as I’d expected it to be! Swordheart told the story of Sarkis, a man condemned to immortality while bound to a sword and whoever wields it. Here in Daggerbound, we pick up the story with the Dervish, one of Sarkis’s two fellow soldiers sentenced to the same fate.

As the story opens, Learned Edmund, a scholar and dedicate of the Many-Armed God, is leaving his temple to transport books and an ancient sword to recipients in a distant city. His temple doesn’t know, however, that he’s taking this opportunity to leave his religious order behind, having grown disillusioned from years of pushing for progress and change. Edmund’s journey does not go well — set upon by bandits, he accidentally unsheathes the sword, and is astonished by the appearance of what he at first takes to be an angel — a ridiculously handsome man with silver markings who appears out of nowhere in a flash of silver and proceeds to dispatch the men assaulting Edmund.

The man is no angel — it’s the Dervish, a man bound to the sword and forced to serve whoever wields it, compelled by the sword’s magic to defend his wielder, if need be at the cost of his own life. Of course, being immortal, he can only be temporarily dead, and some time spent back inside the sword heals him up again.

The Dervish is gorgeous, fierce, and angry, and is tormented by memories of the anguish he suffered at the hands of a particularly sadistic former wielder. He’s understandably irritated to find himself bound to yet another wielder, but quickly comes to see that Edmund is very different from those he’s served before. Edmund is a scholar, who only wishes to learn and apply his knowledge to helping others. He’s not interested in personal power or glory, and doesn’t wish to manipulate Dervish, and in fact agrees to help him figure out if there’s a way to break the curse and free him from his immortal, sword-bound existence.

As the pair travel onward, they acquire some highly unusual companions, find themselves in a variety of dangerous situations, and must fight their way out of more than one trap. The more time they spend together, the more evident it becomes that there’s something beyond a wielder/sword dynamic going on here — despite Dervish constantly reminding himself that Edmund is not his type.

Dervish is a fantastic character. His blend of hardened toughness and self-assuredness make him a formidable opponent for anyone who even looks like they might threated Edmund, and his ego — especially about his astonishing good looks — is never not hilarious. And yet, the terrible memories from his former wielder rise to the surface at unpredictable moments, revealing his unhealed psychic wounds and leaving him emotionally vulnerable.

Dervish and Edmund have a fabulous dynamic — opposites in so many ways, they find a deep appreciation for one another, and come to realize just how much they care and are willing to risk to keep the other person safe.

Other characters are also quite memorable (I won’t go into specifics — it’s so much fun to discover them on your own!), and having key characters from Swordheart join the adventure later in the book feels like meeting up with old friends.

Daggerbound is a wonderful follow-up to Swordheart. I loved being back in the world of this series, and enjoyed every twist and turn, every dangerous escapade and every tender moment. Daggerbound‘s love story is humorous, charming, and quite beautiful, and the characters are terrific, together and on their own.

I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book in the series. Book #3, which will focus on the third person cursed alongside Sarkis and Dervish, is scheduled for release in August 2027 — much too far away from now!

Book #3, *Shieldborn*; to be released 8/2027

Daggerbound succeeds as a sequel to Swordheart and as a terrific fantasy adventure story. Another outstanding book from an incredibly talented author. Highly recommended.

A note on the audiobook edition:

Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky
Released: 2026
Audio length: 16 hours 9 minutes

I enjoyed the audio version of Swordheart so much that I opted to go the same route with Daggerbound, and I’m so glad that I did. Once again, narrator Jesse Vilinsky knocks it out of the park with her excellent character voices and expressive storytelling.

Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

30Jun2026

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026.

So many to look forward! Plus all the other books already on my shelves that I still need to read! How will I ever keep up?

Here are ten books scheduled for release from July through December that I’m looking forward to:

The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian (8/4/2026)
Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher (8/25/2026)
Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison (9/1/2026)
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel (9/15/2026)
A Divided Duty (October Daye, #20) by Seanan McGuire (9/29/2026)
Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger (10/6/2026)
Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (10/6/2026)
As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers (10/13/2026)
Eight Ways to Say I Love You by Amanda Elliot (10/27/2026)
Murmuration by TJ Klune (11/17/2026)

What upcoming new releases are you most excited for? Please share your TTT links!

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23Jun2026

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for summer 2026

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books on My Summer 2026 to-Read List.

Before getting started with my summer TBR, I took a look back at my spring TBR post… and discovered that I did pretty well! Of my 10 winter TBR books, I actually read eight and DNFd one. I still intend to read the one remaining book, which is the first in a series I’ve been planning to start this year:

So, I’ll leave Just One Damned Thing After Another here as a reference… and meanwhile, I’m picking another ten books for my summer reading TBR! Of course, narrowing it down to just ten is practically impossible, but here’s the batch of books I’m putting high on my priority list right now:

The Midnight Train by Matt Haig
To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage
My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

What are you planning to read this summer? Please share your TTT links!

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14Jun2026

Book Review: Swordheart by T. Kingfisher

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Swordheart
Author: T. Kingfisher
Publisher: Bramble
Publication date: Originally published November 27, 2018; new hardcover edition released 2025
Length: 448 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Halla has unexpectedly inherited the estate of a wealthy uncle. Unfortunately, she is also saddled with money-hungry relatives full of devious plans for how to wrest the inheritance away from her.

While locked in her bedroom, Halla inspects the ancient sword that’s been collecting dust on the wall since before she moved in. Out of desperation, she unsheathes it—and suddenly a man appears. His name is Sarkis, he tells her, and he is an immortal warrior trapped in a prison of enchanted steel.

Sarkis is sworn to protect whoever wields the sword, and for Halla—a most unusual wielder—he finds himself fending off not grand armies and deadly assassins but instead everything from kindly-seeming bandits to roving inquisitors to her own in-laws. But as Halla and Sarkis grow closer, they overlook the biggest threat of all—the sword itself.

I adore T. Kingfisher’s fantasy novels, so it’s not a surprise that Swordheart seems written just for me! Originally published in 2018, Swordheart was reissued in 2025 with a gorgeous new cover… and call me shallow, but I just cannot resist a pretty book. Although I gifted myself the hardcover edition last year, I hadn’t found the right moment to pick it up and read it… until on a whim, I borrowed the audiobook from the library last week. What a treat! My main complaint… is against myself. Why did I wait so long to indulge in this delicious story?

The main character of Swordheart is Halla, a “respectable widow” (as she defines herself) in her thirties who lost her inept, less-than-charming husband years earlier, and has spent the years since as his kindly great-uncle’s housekeeper. With no other family and no means of support, Halla has been grateful for her place in his home. When Great-uncle Silas dies of old age, Halla is startled to learn that he’s left her his entire estate… but not as startled as his scheming niece and her son, who are positively irate.

Aunt Malva decides that the best solution is for Halla to marry her pathetic son Alver, so that the inheritance will legally belong to Alver. And if Halla meets with an accident soon after, well, who would really mind? This assumes that Halla will agree to the plan, and she most emphatically does not. Halla’s unwillingness doesn’t seem to faze Malva, who locks Halla in her bedroom and plans to leave her there until she complies. Malva doesn’t count on Halla finding an antique sword hanging on the wall. Intending to put herself out of her own misery, Halla unsheaths the sword to see if she can find a way to use it on herself, and instead ends up face to face with the tough, scowling, ancient warrior who appears in a burst of blue light.

Sarkis is the servant of the sword, a man who centuries earlier was magically bound to the weapon, condemned to live forever and serve the sword’s wielder, whoever that might be. Sarkis has served kings and warlords and all sorts of unsavory types, but never a stubborn “respectable widow” with a tendency to stop and chat when she should be running away.

An unlikely pair, Halla and Sarkis are bound together nonetheless, and after making a daring escape from Silas’s house, they set off on the road to seek help in reclaiming Halla’s inheritance. At first, they find one another maddening: Sarkis has a tendency to manhandle Halla into ditches whenever trouble approaches, and Halla asks questions about absolutely everything. But as their spur-of-the-moment road trip progresses, they find a sense of camaraderie they hadn’t expected. Later, joined by Zale, a priest of the order of the White Rat, it’s practically a buddy movie! The travelers get into a crazy amount of adventures and trouble, but somehow manage to keep their quest moving forward… even if it’s at the excruciatingly slow pace of the ox pulling their wagon.

Swordheart is pure delight, there’s just no other way to put it. From the start, Halla is an incredibly entertaining main character. She’s kind, but unwilling to just take orders, especially when it comes to Aunt Malva and Cousin Alver, whose clammy hands are but one of his unpleasant defining features. Halla’s superpower seems to be driving people batty: She’s learned that people in power just can’t deal with women they underestimate, and has perfected the fine art of playing stupid in order to get others to see her as not a threat and therefore not worth questioning too closely.

Sarkis’s tortured past leaves him dour and scowly. He’s utterly fierce, but finds himself continually flabbergasted by Halla’s chatter and tendency to march right into trouble. And yet, he can’t help but soften toward her… and the feelings quickly become mutual.

The adventure aspects of the story zip along quickly, as Halla and Sarkis meet an eclectic assortment of rogues, priests, bandits, and more along the road, not to mention the otherworldly dangers they stumble into when they end up traveling through magical lands. Still, the most menacing people they encounter are the family members and close associates of Silas’s, who pose more of a threat than all the various others who wave weapons at them from time to time.

The dialogue throughout Swordheart is incredibly entertaining, and made me laugh out loud throughout the book. The humor leavens even the tensest of situations, and I adored the chemistry between Halla and Sarkis, as well as their friendship with Zale. The world of Swordheart is fascinating, with a whole host of gods and religions complicating the group’s journey, and Sarkis’s backstory, including the lingering questions about the magic of his sword, adds a magical element with its own rules and complications.

The ending implies that there’s more to come, if not for Halla and Sarkis personally, then certainly within the world of their story… and so it’s wonderful to know that book #2, Daggerbound, will be released in August 2026. I’ve already placed my preorder!

Swordheart is easily one of my favorite reads for 2026. I’m beyond thrilled that I finally experienced this terrific tale. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys fantasy books with a touch of humor and light romance… and of course, a must-read for fans of T. Kingfisher.

A note on the audiobook edition:

Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky
Released: 2021
Audio length: 14 hours 32 minutes

While I own a beautiful hardcover edition of Swordheart, I ended up listening to the audio version when a long-time library hold came in — and I’m so glad I did! Jesse Vilinsky’s narration is perfection! Halla’s personality shines through, and Sarkis’s growly voice (with a bizarrely Scottish-sounding accent — which totally works!) is exactly how I’d want him to sound. The action scenes ring with vibrancy, and the entire delivery is well worth the 14-hour listening time. If you’re thinking of checking out Swordheart and enjoy audiobooks, this is the way to go!

Question for readers: I understand that Swordheart connects to the same world as the author’s Clockwork duology and Paladin series. Has anyone read either or both of these? Any recommendations on which to pick up first?

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

18Dec2025

Book Review: Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Snake-Eater
Author: T. Kingfisher
Publisher: 47North
Publication date: November 11, 2025
Length: 267 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award–winning author T. Kingfisher comes an enthralling contemporary fantasy seeped in horror about a woman trying to escape her past by moving to the remote US desert—only to find herself beholden to the wrath of a vengeful god.

With only a few dollars to her name and her beloved dog Copper by her side, Selena flees her past in the city to claim her late aunt’s house in the desert town of Quartz Creek. The scorpions and spiders are better than what she left behind.

Because in Quartz Creek, there’s a strange beauty to everything, from the landscape to new friends, and more blue sky than Selena’s ever seen. But something lurks beneath the surface. Like the desert gods and spirits lingering outside Selena’s house at night, keeping watch. Mostly benevolent, says her neighbor Grandma Billy. That doesn’t ease the prickly sense that one of them watches too closely and wants something from Selena she can’t begin to imagine. And when Selena’s search for answers leads her to journal entries that her aunt left behind, she discovers a sinister truth about her new home: It’s the haunting grounds of an ancient god known simply as “Snake-Eater,” who her late aunt made a promise to that remains unfulfilled.

Snake-Eater has taken a liking to Selena, an obsession of sorts that turns sinister. And now that Selena is the new owner of his home, he’s hell-bent on collecting everything he’s owed.

With Snake-Eater, author T. Kingfisher journeys into the realm of folk horror and fantasy, presenting one woman’s struggle to reclaim her life in a desert setting full of spirits and gods… and a bunch of terrific human (and canine) characters too.

Selena arrives in the remote desert town of Quartz Creek with just a few dollars to her name, accompanied by her very good dog Copper. She’s come in search of her aunt Amelia, but discovers upon arrival that Amelia has died the year before. The local postmaster/mayor/police officer Jenny encourages Selena to at least spend the night before deciding to leave — and since Selena can’t afford the return train ticket, and Amelia’s house is sitting empty, she agrees.

But the longer Selena stays in this odd little town in the middle of nowhere, the more settled she becomes. She insists she hasn’t decided to stay — but meanwhile, she becomes close with her nearest neighbor, Grandma Billy, learns to tend Amelia’s garden, attends the community potlucks at Father Aguirre’s church, and figures out how to earn a few bucks here and there, enough to buy Copper’s dog food. And meanwhile, the locals are warm and welcoming, and seem to want Selena to stay,

Selena leaves behind a relationship with a man who gaslit her into believing herself incapable of social interactions. Through insidious comments and continual undermining, Walter had Selena convinced that she was bad with people and could only interact by using carefully memorized scripts. As she settles into life in Quartz Creek, she comes to realize how deeply the gaslighting affected her, and painfully starts to unlearn what she’d come to believe about herself.

Quartz Creek has its own set of oddities and mysteries, especially the locals’ seemingly casual acceptance of the existence of gods and spirits. Even the Catholic priest acknowledges that places can have powerful non-human “people” who affect the lives of those who live there, for good or bad. Selena is startled by the strange figure she sees in her garden, and even more alarmed to hear Grandma Billy casually inform him that it’s a god of the squash plants. Selena is inclined to think that this must be a sign of Grandma Billy declining with age — but no; all the other folks of Quartz Creek back up Grandma Billy’s version. Gods live among them, just as humans and dogs and a stray peacock do.

Selena’s life is complicated by Snake-Eater, a god of roadrunners who appears to have transferred his obsession with Amelia to her niece Selena. And when Selena objects to the god’s attention, he gets very nasty indeed. She and her closest allies, Grandma Billy and Father Aguirre, must venture into the desert to free her from Snake-Eater if she’s to have any hope of living a good life in her newfound community.

What a great story! I adored the desert vibe. The author evokes the heat, the dirt, the plant and animal life, and makes all of this feel real and gritty. It’s easy to see why Selena would want to stay in this harsh but beautiful environment. The community itself is delightful. The people of Quartz Creek are an odd bunch, but they’re committed to their town and one another, and have figured out how to make it work. What’s more, there’s a beautiful sense of love and acceptance. Many of these people have unusual histories, but it doesn’t matter: The community comes together, again and again, and their connection makes them strong.

Selena’s story is so sad to start with. She’s a smart, likable woman whose partner undermined her to such a degree that when we first meet her, we’re tempted to believe the lie that she’s socially awkward and inept as well. Why does she practice scripts in her head? Why can’t she just talk to people? But as we see, Walter’s emotional abuse takes the form of seemingly supportive “help”, shredding Selena’s confidence through comments meant to keep her dependent on him. As Selena spends time in Quartz Creek, she’s able to slowly overcome the doubts that had been trained into her, and learn to trust herself and her new relationships. It’s a joy to see.

As always, T. Kingfisher spins a compelling story full of memorable characters, entertaining set-pieces, and fabulous writing. Snake-Eater is yet another terrific read from an author who never disappoints. Highly recommended.

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible — Bookshop.org
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

9Aug2025

Book Review: Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Hemlock & Silver
Author: T. Kingfisher
Publisher: Tor
Publication date: August 19, 2025
Length: 368 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind.

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.

Not to die, but to save— seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

Or it might be the thing that kills them all.

T. Kingfisher’s fairy tale retellings have become favorites of mine, and Hemlock & Silver is a great addition to this growing collection.

In this slightly off-kilter reinterpretation of the Snow White story, our main character is Anja — a large, plain-spoken woman in her mid-thirties who’s devoted her life to learning everything there is to know about poisons and how to cure them. She’s not a traditional healer: Don’t expect her to mend your broken bones! But if a snake-bite or opium overdose is the problem, she’s the one person most likely (but not guaranteed) to be able to offer even a glimmer of hope.

Anja’s relatively quiet life in a small desert town is upended when the king himself unexpectedly shows up in her workroom one day. He needs Anja’s help: His 12-year-old daughter Snow is fading away, and he suspects poison. Her mother and sister are already dead, and he can’t lose Snow as well — but with the possibility that someone in his court is secretly a poisoner, he needs an outsider’s help. Anja has no choice but to agree to accompany the king and his retinue to the villa where Snow suffers. If it truly is a poisoning case, then perhaps Anja really can make a difference — although she fears what it could mean for her family if she were to fail.

Snow’s case is puzzling and Anja makes little progress until she discovers Snow secretly eating some odd-looking apples. Anja takes a piece to test, and after trying it herself, accidentally finds herself falling against — and through — one of the vast mirrors that seem to be everywhere within the villa. There, Anja discovers a mirror world full of danger and horrific creatures, and learns that the threats against Snow are even more dire than anyone could have imagined.

Anja is a wonderful main character, her lack of tact balanced by her professionalism, honesty, and practicality.

The problem with being plump, middle-aged, and a woman was that people expected you to be motherly, as if that was your default state. I am not. I am actually terrible with children. On the other hand, I have saved the lives of multiple toddlers who licked flypaper, which I feel should count for something

Anja is joined in her desperate quest by her gruff guard Javier — who is steady and supportive, despite communicating mainly in grunts — and an especially delightful and supercilious cat named Grayling, who is able to speak with Anja and has attitude for miles.

“Are you sure I haven’t gone mad?” I asked.

“Your questions are remarkably unoriginal ‘Am I mad, is this a dream, oh no, what’s going on, why is this happening?'” He gazed off into the distance as if I were no longer worth considering

Strange as it sounds, this stung a bit. It’s one thing to know that a cat holds you in mild contempt, quite another to have it actually insult you in language you can understand.

The otherworldly adventure in the mirror world is eerie and unsettling, and there are moments that move this fantasy story toward a horror vibe as Anja discovers something that will give her (and all readers, I suspect) some lasting nightmares:

… the hands reached out and went creeping over the floor, dragging sections of arm behind them. The faces lay tumbled across each other, in a pile that blinked and twitched and moved, the corners of mouths working madly as if in pain.

Shudder.

But even this creature has some unexpected twists in store — the author seem to delight in setting up scenarios that have a hint of familiarity from other stories, then turning them upside down and having them come out completely different in feel and meaning.

Hemlock & Silver provides a fairy tale foundation, then builds upon it to include fascinating characters and a new, distinct story arc, with high stakes and imaginative dangers. I did find the back and forth between the real world and the mirror world occasionally hard to follow… but then again, I was slightly under the weather when I read this book, so this could be a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Hemlock & Silver. It’s not every book that can make you laugh out loud on one page, leave you entirely creeped out on the next, and provide a baffling array of twists and turns to confuse readers before tying the plot up with a convincing conclusion.

Highly recommended!

Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

24Jun2025

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2025

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2025.

All of a sudden it’s summer, and… whoosh!… time is flying by. It’s hard to think about the 2nd half of 2025 already, when I’ve barely kept up with my reading plans from the 1st half.

Here are ten books scheduled for release from July through December that I’m looking forward to:

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (7/15/2025)
The Last Wizards’ Ball (Gunnie Rose, #6) by Charlaine Harris (7/55/2025)
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher (8/19/2025)
Play Nice by Rachel Harrison (9/9/2025)
The Poisoned King (Impossible Creatures, #2) by Katherine Rundell (9/11/2025)
The Shattering Peace (Old Man’s War, #7) by John Scalzi (9/19/2025)
Silver and Lead (October Daye, #19) by Seanan McGuire (9/30/2025)
The Haunting of Payne’s Hollow by Kelley Armstrong (10/14/2025)
The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong (10/14/2025)
Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs (10/21/2025)

What upcoming new releases are you most excited for? Please share your TTT links!

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17Jun2025

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for summer 2025

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books on My Summer 2025 to-Read List.

It’s impossible to keep up with all the books I have my eyes on! Here are the top 10 I most want to make time for… preferably for reading outdoors, in the sun, with warm breezes and a big iced coffee to go with them!

Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab
The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
The Last Wizards’ Ball by Charlaine Harris
Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman
Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
The Fair Folk by Su Bristow

What are you planning to read this summer? Please share your TTT links!

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10Oct2024

Book Review: I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: I’ll Be Waiting
Author: Kelley Armstong
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication date: October 1, 2024
Length: 336 pages
Genre: Horror
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

From New York Times Bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a spellbinding new tale of supernatural horror involving a haunted-house, seances, lost loved ones, and a sinister spirit out for blood…

Nicola Laughton never expected to see adulthood, being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as a child. Then medical advances let her live into her thirties and she met Anton, who taught her to dream of a future… together. Months after they married, Anton died in a horrible car accident, but lived long enough to utter five words to her, “I’ll be waiting for you.”

That final private moment became public when someone from the crash scene took it to the press—the terminally ill woman holding her dying husband as he promised to wait for her on the other side. Worse, that person claimed it wasn’t Anton who said the words but his ghost, hovering over his body.

Since their story went public, Nicola has been hounded by spiritualists promising closure. In the hopes of stopping her downward spiral, friends and family find a reputable medium—a professor of parapsychology. For the séance, they rent the Lake Erie beach house that Anton’s family once owned.

The medium barely has time to begin his work before things start happening. Locked doors mysteriously open. Clouds of insects engulf the house. Nicola hears footsteps and voices and the creak of an old dumbwaiter…in an empty shaft. Throughout it all she’s haunted by nightmares of her past. Because, unbeknownst to the others, this isn’t her first time contacting the dead. And Nicola isn’t her real name.

That’s when she finds the first body….

In this atmospheric, thrilling new ghost story, Kelley Armstrong’s full talents are on display to thrill, chill and leave the reader guessing how Nicola escapes with her life–if she can.

Kelley Armstrong has quickly become a favorite author over the past few years, thanks to terrific series such as A Rip Through Time and A Stitch in Time. I also loved her first foray into contemporary romance, Finding Mr. Write. So it’s no surprise that I’ll Be Waiting, a stand-alone horror novel, pulled me in right from the start and never let me go.

The synopsis above says a lot — perhaps too much — about the plot of I’ll Be Waiting, so I’ll stick to a brief rehash. The basics: Main character Nicola (“Nic”) spends all her life knowing she’s on borrowed time. She’s already exceeded the life expectancy for someone with CF (cystic fibrosis). As the book opens, she’s happily married to a lovely man, Anton, and they’re bantering about future travel plans when a random car accident kills him — but not before he shares last words with Nic: I’ll be waiting for you.

Flashforward eight months, and Nic is still mired in grief, which she lives through by seeking medium after medium, hoping for one final connection with Anton. She knows most are frauds, and knows she should let this obsession go, but she can’t. Worried friends and family stage an intervention of sorts: They’ve found a parapsychologist who applies a scientific approach to contacting the other side, and they want Nicola to agree to make this attempt to reach Anton her last, no matter the outcome.

Everyone knew I loved Anton. They just didn’t know how much. I want the same for my grief. They can know I’m still hurting… just not how much.

As a small group gathers at a lakeside house for the seance, unexplained noises and phenomena begin to occur. Is it yet more fakery? Could it really be Anton? Or is it something or someone else from the other side, with a much darker agenda?

I’ll Be Waiting explores the power of love and grief through Nicola’s experiences. She’s a fascinating main character, living with a chronic illness and suffering through the media interest Anton’s death has provoked. (She’s often described in the press as a terminally ill widow, which is offensive to Nic on so many levels). Through Nic, we get a portrayal of what daily life with CF is like, but also get inside her head to know how thoughts and expectations of death have always been a part of her life. Part of why she can’t let go of the attempts to reach Anton is the very fact that he died first: it was always supposed to be her.

As Nicola spends time at the lake house and experiences unexplained noises, pushes from unseen hands, and other strange occurrences, she also spends more and more time with vivid dreams from her own past. As a teen, something awful happened — awful enough that her parents abruptly moved her across the country and allowed her to change her name in order to escape it all. Now, memories of that time are coming fast and furious, and Nic is left to try to connect the pieces between those events and her possible visitations from Anton.

The suspense builds, with twists and turns that are hinted at, then land with huge, shocking impact. Sure, the first creaking floorboards would probably have sent me running for the hills, but Nic is a woman with a mission, and she refuses to be scared off until she sees this seance through. The tension in the house ratchets higher and higher, as Nicola is forced to question everything — the spirit (spirits?) who seem to be making their presence known, as well as the trustworthiness of the people she’s counting on to see her through this experience.

Somewhere around the 50% point, I sat down with I’ll Be Waiting to read a few more chapters… and didn’t move again until I’d finished. It’s no exaggeration to say this book is impossible to put down. The ghost story and suspense elements are absolutely gripping, but the book is so much more than a horror story. It’s Nicola’s inner life — her memories of her great love and her unending suffering through her grief and loss — that make this book so compelling and so powerful.

I’ll Be Waiting is both beautiful and completely chilling. There are some major jump-scare horror moments, but it’s the story of Nicola and Anton that I think will truly stay with me. This book is masterful storytelling with heart and strong emotional impact. Highly recommended.

2Aug2024

Book Review: A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: A Sorceress Comes to Call
Author: T. Kingfisher
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication date: August 6, 2024
Print length: 336 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley

A dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s Goose Girl, rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic

Cordelia knows her mother is unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms, and her mother doesn’t allow Cordelia to have a single friend—unless you count Falada, her mother’s beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him. But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t sorcerers.

After a suspicious death in their small town, Cordelia’s mother insists they leave in the middle of the night, riding away on Falada’s sturdy back, leaving behind all Cordelia has ever known. They arrive at the remote country manor of a wealthy older man, the Squire, and his unwed sister, Hester. Cordelia’s mother intends to lure the Squire into marriage, and Cordelia knows this can only be bad news for the bumbling gentleman and his kind, intelligent sister.

Hester sees the way Cordelia shrinks away from her mother, how the young girl sits eerily still at dinner every night. Hester knows that to save her brother from bewitchment and to rescue the terrified Cordelia, she will have to face down a wicked witch of the worst kind.

New T. Kingfisher books are always a reason to celebrate, and A Sorceress Comes to Call is no exception.

In this fairy tale (with a tinge of horror), Cordelia is the 14-year-old daughter of a cruel sorceress named Evangeline. To the outside world, Evangeline is a pretty, respectable woman, who presents herself as a genteel widow with a marriageable daughter. (Among other despicable acts, she claims Cordelia is 17 and ready to find a husband). But Cordelia lives in constant fear and torment: Evangeline’s powers enable her to make Cordelia “obedient” — she can control Cordelia’s body and force her to behave as she wishes, leaving Cordelia’s mind alert, aware, and helpless to overcome Evangeline’s control.

When Evangeline sets her sights on a wealthy man, intending to marry him, gain control, and then use her new riches and power to get an even more highly stationed husband for Cordelia — all with the intent of adding to her own wealth and power — Cordelia has no choice but to go along.

The Squire, Samuel, lives with his sister Hester on his comfortable estate. Both in their 50s and never married, they’re content with their lives and their circle of friends. Evangeline’s arrival disrupts their peaceful lives, and while Hester’s intuition immediately labels Evangeline as “Doom”, she’s unexpectedly sympathetic toward Cordelia. Cordelia, Hester senses, is innocent — in many ways. She has no choice about complying with her mother’s schemes, but as Hester befriends her, Cordelia starts to realize that she has to find a way to protect these kind people from the evil that awaits.

The story is full of wonderful fairy-tale-esque moments and devices, but the characters themselves are what make this book especially delightful. Hester in particular is a hoot, but so are her other close friends — all women on the more mature side, perhaps disregarded by society and viewed as silly or unimportant older women, but with sharp wit, keen intelligence, and nerves of steel.

Evangeline and her horse/familiar Falada are evil, but they’re sly and devious, and not easily defeated. The story builds to a scary, dramatic confrontation, and some elements of the action toward the end have more of a horror feel to them — but it’s all quite exciting and delicious to read, and I loved seeing how the good guys have each other’s backs.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is such a satisfying, engaging read! The characters are superb, and made me care deeply about all the magic-laden ups and downs of the story.

T. Kingfisher’s fantasy/fairy tale stories are among my favorites, and A Sorceress Comes to Call is a terrific addition. Highly recommended.